Dynamic ranking of service actions

• US 8,649,047 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2007
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Martin, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): Haskins, Twyler
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIFERAW, HENOK ASRES
• Application Number:
  US11/745,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20080278755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,471 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.16
• US Class Current: 358/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5075 Remote control machines, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display

Abstract

Systems and methods for dynamically updating service ranks for a plurality of service actions for an electronic system are disclosed. A central computing system may receive a plurality of service actions prioritized in an order based on a service rank associated with each service action. Each service action may correspond to one or more operations performed to attempt to repair an electronic system. The central computing system may receive feedback information for one or more service actions from a first user pertaining at least to whether each service action successfully repaired a fault for the electronic system. The service rank for each service action may be updated based on at least the feedback information, and the order for the service actions may be modified based on the updated service ranks. The central computing system may provide one or more service actions to a second user based on the modified order.

Claims

1. A system for dynamically updating service ranks for a plurality of service actions for a printing system, the system comprising:

a processor;

a communication interface in communication with the processor; and

a processor-readable storage medium in communication with the processor,

wherein the processor-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions for performing a method of dynamically updating ranks for a plurality of service actions for a printing system, the method comprising;

receiving a plurality of service actions, wherein each service action has an associated service rank, wherein the service actions are prioritized in an order based on the service rank, wherein each service action indicates one or more operations to be performed to the printing system by a user to repair at least one identified cause of a fault in an attempt to repair the printing system,

providing, via the communication interface, a service action of the plurality of service actions to a first user, wherein the provided service action has a highest remaining service rank in the order,

receiving, via the communication interface, feedback information for the provided service action from a first user, wherein the feedback information pertains at least to whether the provided service action successfully repaired the fault for the printer system,

repeating the providing and receiving feedback information operations until a provided service action repairs the printing system,

updating, by the processor, the service rank for each of the provided service action by;

determining a first number of times that the service action repaired the fault,

determining a second number of times that the fault has occurred,

dividing the first number by the second number to generate an updated service rank for the service action,

determining whether a cost of performing the service action raises an overall repair cost for the printing system,

in response to determining that the cost of performing the service action raises the overall repair cost for the printing system, reducing the updated service rank, and

in response to determining that the cost of performing the service action does not raise the overall repair cost for the printing system, increasing the updated service rank,

modifying the order for the service actions based on the updated service ranks for each provided service action, and

providing, via the communication interface, a service action of the plurality of service actions to a second user, wherein the provided service action has a highest rank in the modified order.

2. A method of dynamically updating service ranks for a plurality of service actions for an electronic system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a central computing system, a plurality of service actions, wherein each service action has an associated service rank, wherein the service actions are prioritized in an order based on the service rank, wherein each service action indicates one or more operations to be performed to the electronic system by a user to repair at least one identified cause of a fault in an attempt to repair the electronic system;

providing a service action of the plurality of service actions to a first user, wherein the provided service action has a highest remaining service rank in the order;

receiving, by the central computing system, feedback information for the provided service action from a first user, wherein the feedback information pertains at least to whether the provided service action successfully repaired the fault for the electronic system;

repeating the providing and receiving feedback information operations until a provided service action repairs the electronic system;

updating the service rank for each provided service action based on at least the feedback information and on a cost of performing the service action;

modifying the order for the service actions based on the updated service ranks for each provided service action; and

providing, by the central computing system, a service action of the plurality of service actions to a second user, wherein the provided service action has a highest rank in the modified order.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein updating the service rank comprises, for each service action:

determining a first number of times that the service action repaired the fault;

determining a second number of times that the fault has occurred; and

dividing the first number by the second number to generate the service rank for the service action.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the first number comprises determining the first number of times that the service action repaired the fault within a predetermined time period, and wherein determining the second number comprises determining the second number of times that the fault has occurred within the predetermined time period.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the first number comprises determining the first number of times that the service action repaired the fault within a geographic region, and wherein determining the second number comprises determining the second number of times that the fault has occurred within the geographic region.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the first number comprises determining the first number of times that the service action repaired the fault for an electronic system used within a market segment, and wherein determining the second number comprises determining the second number of times that the fault has occurred for an electronic system used within the market segment.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising, for each service action:

multiplying the service rank by an average service expertise for one or more users performing the service action.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the electronic system comprises an electronic printing system.

19. The method of claim 2, wherein updating the service rank comprises reducing the service rank if the cost of performing the service action raises an overall repair cost.

9. A system for dynamically updating service ranks for a plurality of service actions for an electronic system, the system comprising:

a processor;

a communication interface in communication with the processor; and

a processor-readable storage medium in communication with the processor,

wherein the processor-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions for performing a method of dynamically updating ranks for a plurality of service actions for an electronic system, the method comprising;

receiving a plurality of service actions, wherein each service action has an associated service rank, wherein the service actions are prioritized in an order based on the service rank, wherein each service action indicates one or more operations to be performed to the electronic system by a user to repair at least one identified cause of a fault in an attempt to repair an electronic system,

providing, via the communication interface, a service action of the plurality of service actions to a first user, wherein the provided service action has a highest remaining service rank in the order,

receiving, via the communication interface, feedback information for the provided service action from a first user, wherein the feedback information pertains at least to whether the provided service action successfully repaired the fault for the electronic system,

repeating the providing and receiving feedback information operations until a provided service action repairs the electronic system,

updating the service rank for each provided service action based on at least the feedback information and on a cost of performing the service action,

modifying the order for the service actions based on the updated service ranks for each provided service action, and

providing, via the communication interface, a service action of the plurality of service actions to a second user, wherein the provided service action has a highest rank in the modified order.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the one or more programming instructions for updating the service rank comprise one or more programming instructions for performing the following for each service action:

determining a first number of times that the service action repaired the fault;

determining a second number of times that the fault has occurred; and

dividing the first number by the second number to generate the service rank for the service action.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more programming instructions for determining the first number comprise one or more programming instructions for determining the first number of times that the service action repaired the fault within a predetermined time period, and wherein the one or more programming instructions for determining the second number comprise one or more programming instructions for determining the second number of times that the fault has occurred within the predetermined time period.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more programming instructions for determining the first number comprises one or more programming instructions for determining the first number of times that the service action repaired the fault within a geographic region, and wherein the one or more programming instructions for determining the second number comprises one or more programming instructions for determining the second number of times that the fault has occurred within the geographic region.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more programming instructions for determining the first number comprises one or more programming instructions for determining the first number of times that the service action repaired the fault for an electronic system used within a market segment, and wherein the one or more programming instructions for determining the second number comprises one or more programming instructions for determining the second number of times that the fault has occurred for an electronic system used within the market segment.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising one or more programming instructions for performing the following:

for each service action, multiplying the service rank by an average service expertise for one or more users performing the service action.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the electronic system comprises an electronic printing system.

20. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more programming instructions for updating the service rank comprise one or more programming instructions for reducing the service rank if the cost of performing the service action raises an overall repair cost.

16. A system for dynamically updating service ranks for a plurality of service actions for an electronic system, the system comprising:

a communications network;

a storage medium;

a plurality of remote computing devices, wherein each remote computing device is in communication with the communications network, wherein each remote computing device is configured to;

receive a plurality of service actions and corresponding service ranks from the communications interface, wherein the plurality of service actions are prioritized in an order based on the corresponding service ranks, wherein each service action indicates one or more operations to be performed to the electronic system by a user to repair at least one identified cause of a fault in an attempt to repair the electronic system,

display a service action of the plurality of service actions, wherein the displayed service action has a highest remaining service rank in the order,

receive feedback information from a user, wherein the feedback information pertains at least to whether the provided service action successfully repaired the fault,

repeat the providing and receiving feedback information operations until a provided service action repairs the fault, and

transmit the feedback information via the communications network; and

a central computing system in communication with the communications network and the storage medium, wherein the central computing system is configured to;

retrieve information pertaining to a plurality of service actions and a plurality of service ranks from the storage medium,

transmit information pertaining to the plurality of service actions via the communications network,

receive the feedback information from the communications network,

update the service rank for each service action based on at least the feedback information and on a cost of performing the service action,

modify the order for the service actions based on the updated service ranks for each service action, and

store the plurality of service actions in the storage medium in the modified order.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the communications network comprises one or more of a local area network, wide area network, metropolitan area network, the Internet, an intranet a wireless network, a personal communication service network, a Wi-Fi network, and a Bluetooth network.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the plurality of remote computing devices comprise one or more of a laptop computer, a handheld device, and a cell phone.